sickle cell

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. an abnormal red blood cell having an elongated, crescentlike shape due to the presence of an abnormal hemoglobin.

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Etymology

Origin of sickle cell

First recorded in 1925–30; so called from the fact that the cells are often sickle-shaped

Example Sentences

So I’ve always been aware of it, and I’ve lost now four friends to sickle cell.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

"The first gene editing drug approved for a blood disease -- sickle cell anemia -- targets a cell-type specific enhancer."

From Science Daily • Dec. 19, 2025

The biotech said a Phase 3 trial for mitapivat, a drug to treat sickle cell disease, had failed to meet several endpoints.

From Barron's • Nov. 19, 2025

The technology could be especially promising for couples who have the same genetic condition, such as in Nigeria, where many people have sickle cell disease, he wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 9, 2025

Everywhere you turned there were college students in T-shirts, signing people up for sickle cell anemia testing and voter registration.

From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia